Supreme Court to Hear APGA’s Challenge to Imo Governor Uzodinma’s Election.
The Supreme Court has set October 31, 2023, as the date for the hearing of a case filed by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), challenging the position of Governor Hope Uzodinma in Imo State.
This hearing comes three years after the party initially filed its application in July 2020.
APGA’s contention centers on the belief that a fresh election should have been conducted in Imo State following the apex court’s nullification of the election of Emeka Ihedioha, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate.
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In December 2020, the Supreme Court upheld a Court of Appeal judgment that nullified Uche Nwosu’s candidacy as the governorship flagbearer of the Action Alliance. The court found Nwosu guilty of double nomination, as he held tickets from both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and AA.
In light of this, Nwosu withdrew his appeal against Ihedioha’s victory in the election.
However, on January 14, 2020, the Supreme Court nullified Ihedioha’s election, declaring Hope Uzodinma, who came fourth in the gubernatorial election, as the duly elected governor of Imo State.
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APGA argues that Uzodinma’s candidacy should have been nullified since both the APC and AA had given tickets to him and Nwosu.
The party contends that the Supreme Court did not address the validity of Uzodinma’s candidacy since it was not challenged by Ihedioha and the PDP in the appeal marked SC/1462/2019.
Stephen Nwoga, counsel to APGA, emphasized, “In the eyes of the law, the absence of a duly and validly nominated/sponsored candidate by a political party as a constitutional precedent has made it imperative for INEC to conduct a fresh election in Imo State.
Consequently, there is no decision of this court that has determined or established that Senator Hope Uzodinma is the duly nominated/sponsored governorship candidate of the APC in Imo State as stipulated by Section 11177(c) of the Constitution.”
APGA, whose candidate secured the third position in the 2019 governorship election with a total of 114,676 votes, is urging the Supreme Court to order a fresh election, “excluding the APC and Action Alliance (AA).
Governor Hope Uzodinma is currently seeking re-election in the upcoming poll scheduled for November 11, adding to the significance of this legal challenge
